Renew
by uchihaotakuhime
Summary: Sasuke returns to Konoha after realizing what he wants most is to return to a place he can call home. When he sees the rest of the Rookie 9 starting lives of their own, he realizes that maybe it's time for him to start one too. SasuHina, (slight) ShikaHina
1. Chapter 1

Sweat dripped off the chin of the last Uchiha's face and he grinned mischievously as his red, Sharingan eyes met sky-blue ones across the training grounds. "Not bad, _dobe_."

"Heh. Who's the dobe now?" the sunny blonde taunted back and raised his index finger, pointing at the other young man. "You lost!"

"Hmph." Sasuke smirked, sheathing his katana and straightening up from his defensive stance. He cracked his neck and stretched both arms. "That should be how it is all the time. Like I'd let a weak fucker be _my_ Hokage." He glanced back up at Naruto, who was shaking out the debris from his shaggy hair. It had grown long, almost matching the Yondaime's on the Hokage mountain behind them. "I could still beat you if I wanted to though," he warned, using the back of his hand to wipe the blood dripping off his chin.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved his best friend's words off. "And that's why you're gonna be the captain of the ANBU, and all the girls want you instead of me, and why all the _genin_ and _jonin_ alike fear Uchiha-_dono_, blah, blah, blah." He grinned at the glowering Uchiha. "You're not too hurt are you?"

Sasuke sneered back. "Hai, Naruto-koi. Careful, Sakura will get jealous of me."

Naruto laughed, his eyes shining. He punched Sasuke one more time in the gut. "It's good to have you back, _teme_." He plopped down next to the dark-haired boy who lay clutching his abs. He ignored the death-glare he received and the _Fuck you, Naruto_ that was muttered in response. "It's been 10 years since the war," Naruto continued quietly. "Did you have enough time to think?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"And making Konoha your home?"

"Konoha has always been the home of the Uchiha."

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a minute.

"Stop looking at me like that, dobe, before I beat the shit out of you. It's fucking creepy." Sasuke sat up and sighed. "What?"

The Hokage sat quietly for a moment, which was somewhat amusing. Sasuke took some water from his pack and started to wash his wounds, waiting patiently for his friend to speak. "You're not going to feel at home right away, you know," Naruto murmured, scratching his scalp uneasily.

The Uchiha paused, rolling his eyes. "You think I didn't know that?" He tossed

some healing ointment to his friend. "Why the hell would I come back if I didn't?"

Naruto removed his hokage cloak and began tending to his own wounds. "Well, it's not all different, 'ttebayo," he continued. "I mean, we're all different, in a way, but we're not, ya know? We're still _us_."

Shaking his head exasperatedly, Sasuke listened as Naruto relayed the details of their comrades from the Konoha Academy. He had seen them briefly the night before when they gathered at the front gates of Konoha to welcome his return, but he did nothing except observe the way simple way they supported Naruto by showing up. Apparently, the Rookie 11 had done well after the war. Sasuke managed to pick out important details from Naruto's babbling. Naruto, of course, had finally achieved his dreams of becoming Hokage. It was fitting, really, after being the main catalyst of the victory between the Shinobi Alliance and the Uchiha pair, Obito and Madara. Sakura was the head medic of the Konoha Hospital, working alongside Shizune and the retired Tsunade. And because Naruto tended to act rash and forgot he had a brain, Kakashi became his right-hand man and main advisor. Shikamaru, like his father before him, became the Chief Strategist. Ino took over her father's position at the Interrogation squad, while Chouji became a jonin at the Academy. Together, they maintained the Ino-Shika-Chou formation when instructed by the Hokage. Team 8 kept their reputation of being the best tracking team in Konoha, except their team was now a terrible force among the ANBU squad. TenTen, Lee, and Sai all became jonin at the Academy too, training and mentoring their own genin squad. "And you, of course, will be my captain in the ANBU!" Naruto finished excitedly.

Sasuke finished wrapping bandages around his forearms and rolled his eyes again, rising up to stand. "_Aa_. I think you mentioned that. Once. Or maybe twice."

Naruto hurried to stand up too, pulling on Sasuke's pant leg. "_Oi_, oi, you're my best friend, of course I'm gonna—"

"_Otou_-chaaaaan!" A small voice called over the training grounds. The men looked up to see a young, blonde boy running towards them.

Naruto raised his hand and waved, a goofy, lopsided smile replacing the whiny pout on his face. "Over here!" he called. Turning back to Sasuke with pink dusting his whiskered cheeks, he continued, "I forgot that you haven't met my son yet."

"Heh," Sasuke smirked. "I understand that you didn't want to tell me that you got busy with Sakura after the war." Chortling, Sasuke dodged a punch and leapt a few feet away from his friend, who was yelling insults in retaliation. "_Urosai_, dobe! Sakura will have your neck if your son picks up your dirty mouth." Sasuke laughed as the blonde froze, his fist in midair, turning to see his son walking curiously towards him. Sheepishly, he chuckled, waving Sasuke over and ruffling a hand through his son's blonde locks.

Sasuke approached the father-son pair awkwardly, as if he was interrupting a private moment. He heard them exchange greetings and watched their faces don similar looks of affection. Naruto's son had inherited the shiny blonde locks of the Namikaze. Unlike Naruto's shaggy hair, his son had his hair cropped short like Naruto had as a boy. _They looked so much alike_, Sasuke mused. Although the boy lacked his father's whiskered cheeks, he shared the same wide, lopsided smile. _This kid really is that dobe's son._ He eyed the red clothes the kid wore and chuckled to himself. _Thank Kami he's not wearing orange._

"Ne, Sasuke, this is Yuudai." Naruto put an arm over his son's shoulders. "Yuudai, this is my best friend, the one, the only Uchiha Sasuke." The boy smiled shyly and gazed up admiringly at the Uchiha. Sasuke was surprised to see Sakura's eyes staring up at him, rather than Naruto's signature sparkling blue eyes.

"_Hajimemashite_, Uchiha-san," the boy said politely, hiding half of his body behind his father's cloak. He looked to his father for approval, who nodded.

Sasuke nodded. "Hn," was all he said, unaccustomed to the formalities. If Sasuke were to admit he was uncomfortable with anything, it would have to be formalities and kids, and since he was confronted with both, he wanted nothing more than to escape immediately. He raised an eyebrow at Naruto and shot a questioning look at his friend. The kid obviously did not get his politeness from his father.

Naruto laughed self-consciously. "Hehheh. Sakura-chan," he explained. Turning to his son, he continued. "Just call him Sasuke-_jii-chan_, ne, Yuudai?"

The boy nodded in response and once again turned his jade-green eyed glance at the dark man in front of him. Sasuke threw a glare in Naruto's direction, rolling his eyes. "Whatever," he deadpanned. He nodded at Yuudai and turned to leave. "I'm going. I have to pick up some things from the market."

"You're coming to the dinner tonight, right?" Naruto's eyes shone hopefully, knowing the Uchiha tended to hate crowds and desired some time alone settling in. "Sakura-chan will be expecting you to come. She said we'd all help you move in later."

Sasuke winced at the thought of socializing and weighed the other option of an angry Sakura bursting in his apartment and punching him in the face while he lazed around. Sighing, he nodded, waving Naruto off and walking off the training ground.

"And don't forget to stop by my office for your ANBU uniform after you're done. You'll get an orientation today, Kakashi-sensei said," Naruto reminded, his voice rising dangerously to that annoying pitch that grated on Sasuke's eardrums.

"I _know_, dobe," Sasuke growled, gritting his teeth. _I haven't been in Konoha for 24 hours and that dobe is already getting on my nerves._ Shaking his head as he leapt towards his apartment to shower, he sighed. He smirked affectionately, listening to the blonde idiot's attempt to explain to his son why "Sasuke-jii-chan thinks Otou-chan is a dobe." After nearly losing each other during their battle with Obito and Madara, Sasuke realized the importance of the bright, shining, and somewhat annoying, presence of the kyuubi in his life. His was the only one that stood out during Sasuke's lonely existence in Konoha, the only one that really helped fill the void that his massacred family had left behind. The brooding Uchiha boy had finally grasped the delicacy of life. It was then as he lay wounded under Madara's own hand, looking across the battlefield at the other boy, fiery and persistent as ever, all while struggling to grin and stand up. He was not going to lose another brother. And when the war was finally over and the smoke, dust, and blood had all cleared from their eyes, Naruto was the only one who saw the struggle and hesitancy in his brother's eyes as they stood on the outskirts of fire country. He knew Sasuke's heart. With a fist bump, a teary grin, and an"I'll kick your ass if you don't come back, teme," Naruto sent Sasuke off to make sense of himself. After all, the last Uchiha needed to clear his mind after a lifetime of hatred, revenge, and nothing but a goal to avenge. But after 10 years of trekking the lands of shinobi country, Sasuke yearned for nothing but home. He wasn't sure if it was a place, or a person, or a group people even, but he was sure that he had to find it in the place where he first understood the comfort of home. He'd never admit it, and no one would understand except Naruto anyway, but he was ready. Sasuke reached the balcony of his apartment and slid open the door, muttering with a smirk on his face, "Stupid dobe." Yes, beneath that dark, mysterious, indifferent front, Uchiha Sasuke was happy to be home.

Sasuke had known he should've come to the market when there were less people. His annoyance grew to a full-fledged irritation when he caught stares of admiration and fear among the villagers, all while dodging any signs of females that appeared to be between the ages of 10-70 years old. He recoiled from the close contact of the throng of people crowding the market stalls. Gratitude for almost 15 years in, essentially, social isolation was certainly showing in the furrowing brow above his dark eyes. He clutched his bag of groceries closer to his toned chest, repressing the urge to run a chidori-infused palm through the heart of the next person who so much grazed the hem of his shirt with the hair on their arm.

_Fucking Naruto. I'll kill him. I had a long-ass morning training with that stupid idiot and I had a long-ass afternoon trying make my way through this damn village—why the hell is it so fucking different anyway?—and now I'm gonna spend the rest of my long-ass day with that fucking perverted gray-haired sensei and all those annoying assholes in masks. Why the _hell_ do I need to cook something for Sakura's stupid potluck? It's not like I _want_ to have welcome-fucking-home dinner. I can do just _fine_ on my own. I don't even _like_ any of the people who are going to be there. I just want to go home and sleep. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK._

A small streak of messy, dark hair blurred past Sasuke, causing the young man to falter in his steps, jarring the Uchiha from his thoughts.

"Ne, Asuma-nii-chan! You're going too fast! Matte!"

_Oh no, no more kids_, Sasuke groaned inwardly. _No more people_. He grabbed the bag closer and put a protective arm on top of the groceries that were threatening to spill out after his encounter with the child. He eyed the kid's target, who was obviously much older and had the teasing nature of his own Itachi-nii-san.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke side-stepped the kid and continued on his way warily. Except he couldn't get away, he realized angrily. This "Asuma-nii-chan" had circled back and continued teasing the younger boy, his fast legs skirting in and out between the crowd's legs.

"F-fine! I'll make you stay!" The frustrated kid yelled. He paused in the middle of the road and cried, "Kage Mane no Jutsu!" his small hands forming clumsy handseals.

_Great. An annoying little Nara._ Sasuke huffed and after rolling his eyes, he started to edge away from the little interaction, anxious to get away from the throng of people. Suddenly, he felt his legs froze on the ground beneath him. A, _What the hell?_ flashed briefly through his mind as he collapsed forward, his groceries flying out of his arms. It wasn't often that Uchiha Sasuke was taken by surprise.

SPLAT!

A gasp went through the crowd as the swift ninja reflexively leapt to his feet immediately. Squashed tomatoes and egg yolks dripped down the front of the Uchiha's face and chest. The terrified, brown eyes of the child stared up at his monstrous victim. Red lined the edges of black pupils as Sasuke leaned down. "Listen, kid—" he threatened, yanking the kid up by his arm.

"M-matte, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke turned his head towards the sound of his name.

The boy also turned his spiky head of hair. "Okaa-san?" A sheepish look came over his face as he flushed red.

The Uchiha's jaw dropped as the boy's mother came walking quickly towards him. A woman he saw just last night, with the rest of his classmates from the academy. _White eyes, indigo hair—Huh? _ He looked from the kid to his mother and withdrew his large hand quickly.

_Okaa-san? Impossible! _

"Shikakumi!" Hinata scolded. "I told you to wait for me!"


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N:_**_ Thanks everyone for your reviews! I like hearing all types of opinions. I admit, this is a strange fanfic. I realize the pairings and happenings in this story may not make readers happy, but I wrote this when I was in a Sasu-Hina-Shika-but-I-cant-decide-whether-or-not-h ina-should-end-up-with-Sasu-or-Shika type of phase. But, hey, if you're looking for a twist on Hinata's love life and something different, keep reading. For those who were skeptical, thanks for stopping by and reading. Maybe I can post another one of my unfinished stories. Maybe you'll like those more. I like to dream up a lot of stories. In my book, anything is possible._

_ Once again, thank you all for your support! All I can say is to please keep reading! _

-.-.-.-.-

**Chapter 2**

"Demo, Okaa-san—"

"Iie. I told you. It was either you stay with me or your baa-chan and you-"

Sasuke tuned them out as his mind absorbed what he just learned, forming a mental checklist of the facts that were presented to him in those few minutes. Although his mouth hung unknowingly, nothing escaped the Uchiha's eyes. _First name, Shikakumi. Kage Mane no Jutsu-obviously trained in the style of the Nara clan Poorly._ He sniffed, remembering the sloppy jutsu the kid performed, consciously brushing off the fact that the kid could not be older than five years old. There were no traces of Hyuuga on the child's features. _Maybe she adopted. _Sasuke turned a trained eye towards the mother-and-son duo and studied the pair's features. At first, he could see no similarities. But suddenly, subtle resemblances unmasked themselves as Sasuke's experienced observation skills took over. Shikakumi's spiky, chin-length hair grazed his red, flushed cheeks, mirroring Hinata's flustered porcelain skin. Sasuke hadn't seen many people turn that shade of pink except for the Hyuuga girl herself. Choppy bangs brushed his furrowed brow, a messier version of Hinata's perfect straight-cut bangs that framed her heart-shaped face. The boy's eyes were far from white, but he shared the same innocent, doe-eyed glance as he stared up at his mother, even as his mouth turned downward. Sasuke could have dismissed all these characteristics as chance, but then there was his hair. The kid's hair was dark, almost black. As the boy shook his head violently, denying something that Hinata was saying, Sasuke noticed that the kid's strands captured the sunlight and threw off a subtle indigo tint. The same tint that distinguished the Hyuuga girl apart from the other members of the clan, silently announcing the marked differencethat could only be explained by direct hereditary inheritance. _There was no doubt_._ This kid had to be hers._

Sasuke stiffened abruptly. _Wait—why the hell do I care? _The only time that he remembered he had ever tried to care to interact with this girl was when their fathers had put them together as children during clan meetings. Memories of a small girl with indigo hair cropped to the same length as the kid in front of him and a shy, brilliant smile flashed quickly through his mind and he blinked. He cocked his head in confusion. _Where did that come from?_ He blinked again and shook his head to clear his mind. _The past is the past_, he reminded himself. Upon entering the gates of Konoha, he had tried to make it a point not to dwell on anything that would trigger an explosion of anger—usually the times when he thought about the days before the war. Sasuke began to inch slowly away, hoping to escape the Hyuuga's sharp eyes.

No such luck.

Catching sight of the slight movement in her periphery, Hinata finally turned to the Uchiha. "Gomen, Sasuke-kun," Hinata smiled apologetically. She looked down sternly at the boy who was pouting behind her leg. "Apologize, Shika-chan."

"Uh, it's okay you don't nee—" Sasuke's deep voice rumbled awkwardly, one foot ready for flight, had he had to make more conversation than necessary.

"Gome na sai, ojii-san." The boy bowed politely. He kept his gaze downcast and peered at the silent man through his lashes.

"Hn," Sasuke managed. It was still weird being around anyone else besides Naruto. It was weird being social in general. He just wanted to leave.

The Hyuuga smiled in approval, trying to smother a chuckle at the thought of Sasuke as an 'ojii-san.' Realizing the Uchiha was still dripping in tomato juice and eggs, Hinata clasped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, Sasuke-kun! Let me help you!"

Sasuke raised one eyebrow, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Please don't. I'm heading ho—."

Ignoring him and turning to her son, she instructed, "Go get me some water from the ojii-san in that stall, ne, Shika-chan? Hayaku!"

Shikakumi took off running in the opposite direction. Turning, Hinata used the sleeve of her yukata to reach up and wipe the egg yolks off Sasuke's face, fussing and muttering to herself. Sasuke had no choice but to stand frozen and accept her help. It was funny, really, the boldness that she displayed. He could only remember his former classmate as a stuttering little introvert at the academy and a weak, sympathetic kunoichi on the training field. He tucked away the little thought that her nerve may have come from being mother.

As she mumbled to herself, Sasuke realized that he should not be seen interacting with a woman, the Hyuuga heiress no less, on his first full day back. It'd spark the attention of the fangirls, or worse, the Hyuuga clan. When he heard the little pattering of feet making its way closer, Sasuke grabbed her wrist. "Enough," he demanded in a monotone voice, leaning down to glare at her. "Thanks, but no thanks. I can do this by myself."

Blushing at the close proximity of his face, she ducked her head shyly. "G-gomen." Sasuke released her and shook his head at the napkins and the water the little boy offered.

"Ja," he muttered, sloshing his way back to the apartments. Juices squished between his toes as he stepped gingerly back through the crowd.

"Um—have a good day, Sasuke-kun," she called hesitantly, raising a hand to wave and putting her other hand on her son's head.

Sasuke ignored her. Expecting Hinata to give the boy a scolding, he kept his attention on their conversation. However, when he didn't hear the softspoken woman's voice rise at all, Sasuke's curiosity grew. Ducking behind stall, he turned to to spy on the Hyuuga and her son. Sasuke watched as she picked up the little boy who still had a pout on his handsome face. Laughing, she nuzzled her nose on his cheek, earning a grin and a kiss. "Ne, Shika-chan. Smile for your okaa-san. Daijoubu." She set him down and took his hand. "No more jutsus, okay? Not yet." They walked off towards the center of the market.

Sasuke felt a pang in his heart as an image of his dark-haired mother brushing her nose against his own as a child rushed through his thoughts. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he brushed aside that memory as well. _ Past is past,_ he repeated again. _And, it's sure as hell not my business_.

-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke yawned and pushed opened the door to the Hokage's office. It had been a long day and he was eager to get Sakura's impending dinner over with. Realizing there were people inside, he stopped his hands from removing his mask and left it on, moving swiftly to stand behind Naruto. Quickly, he racked his memory as he studied the jonin in the green vests, equipped and ready to depart for their mission. _Hyuuga Hanabi. Sarutobi Konohamaru. The most skilled jonin of their generation, or so Kakashi says._

Kakashi had taken Sasuke on a mini tour during his ANBU orientation, as though he had never lived in the village before. Sure, it was slightly different than before, but he did remember quite a lot without having to listen to Kakashi's monotonous ramblings of 'things worth knowing,' he said. Among these 'things worth knowing' were the important points of most of the shinobi's profiles. Aside from his former classmates' information, Sasuke grudgingly listened to those of the younger and older generation, people he had previously deemed even more unworthy of his thoughts, so it was easy recalling information about the two in front of him. He stifled another yawn.

"Dismissed." Naruto finished with a cheeky grin threatening to grace his face. It was hard to be serious when he truly trusted his comrades.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Hanabi bowed briefly.

"Ja, Naruto-nii-chan," Konohamaru grinned, flicking his wrist in a quick wave.

They glanced quickly at the masked ANBU standing behind the rokudaime and saluted respectfully, somehow knowing that it was the captain. Sasuke nodded back once in greeting, and they relaxed their stance, heading for the door. Catching a glance of Hanabi's impassive stare and her white, indifferent eyes, he remembered his encounter with Hinata in the market.

The door shut. "The other Hyuuga—is she still heiress?" Sasuke removed his mask and shook out his shaggy hair, already beginning to take off his armor.

Naruto nodded, raising his eyebrow at Sasuke's sudden interest. "Nn. Nande?" He continued to stamp the papers on his desk.

"I ran into her today. She has a kid." Sasuke took a sip of the sake that sat untouched on Naruto's desk, his armor piled neatly on the floor. He stretched, cracking his neck loudly.

"And? I have two."

"She obviously isn't married if she's still the _Hyuuga_ heiress living in the _Hyuuga_ compound counseled by the _Hyuuga_ elders. You know, instead of living outside of Konoha with another man."

Sasuke was rewarded with a blank stare.

Frustrated at his friend's failure to grasp the point, he snarled, "Is that even allowed? I thought those tight-assed bastards didn't allow that in their clan." He sighed, taking the whole sake bottle for himself.

"Since when are you interested in anyone other than yourself, teme?" Naruto teased, stopping his work for a bit to stretch his muscular arms over his head. He snatched the bottle back.

Sasuke shrugged. "It's just…weird." He paused. "You're married…and even Kakashi is with someone now. You know, that Yuuhi sensei. It seems like everyone's settling down, living their lives. I feel like…I've been left in the past, and I'm struggling to catch up to everyone. I'm here, but I'm still not sure what to do."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone." Naruto teased again as he got up to get ready to leave.

Sasuke shot a glare in his friend's direction. "That's not what I meant."

Naruto chuckled. "Sorry, Sasuke." His whiskered grin turned serious as he eyed his solemn friend. "This whole, starting fresh-type thing is really important to you isn't it?" He put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Aa. I don't want anything holding me back anymore," Sasuke murmured. Naruto observed the way Sasuke's eyebrows pulled downward as he frowned, mulling over his thoughts. The Hokage smiled softly, musing that Sasuke must have been really distracted if he didn't punch him in the face for touching him. Not wanting Sasuke to feel sad on his first night back, he offered, "I'll tell you on our way to dinner."

The Uchiha shook his head. "Just forget it. I don't care anymore." He shrugged off Naruto's hand. "Let's go already. I want to get this over with."

The pair prepared to leap out the window into the night.

"Better yet. You can ask her yourself tonight, 'ttebayo."

Sasuke snorted. "Hell no."

-.-.-.-.-

He wouldn't mind a rasengan to the face right now. The Rookie 9, or 11, or 10, or however many there were now, did not mix so well with sake on the table. Including himself. It had been fine at first. He tolerated the greetings from his former classmates. He knew they were here mainly out of Naruto's insistence. The food was good too, he had to admit. And not having to cook most of it was a plus. But then, unsurprisingly, the noisiest bunch of the group were also the most drunken, and, when drunken, were even more noisy. He couldn't even think straight anymore. It was giving him a headache to hear Lee go on and on about the youthfulness of his genin team and a tipsy TenTen trying to get her wide-eyed boyfriend's attention and was it just him or was Chouji looking a little fuzzier?

"Sasuke-kun!'"

Sasuke grimaced at the sound of the all-too familiar, whiny voice and turned slowly, squinting to see a very pregnant Ino rushing towards him with her arms open.

"Please tell me you're not drunk," he said tonelessly as he stuck out a callused palm to her forehead, halting any chances of her getting her arms around him in a hug.

Ino paused, frowning. "Of course not!" She huffed. "I'm not stupid!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, unconvinced, and took a whole step backwards. "I see you're…pregnant. Congrats, I guess. Are you married, too?"

"Why, Sasuke-kun, I'm flattered by your interest, but yes, I am!" Ino batted her lashes at him and he fought the urge to gag.

He rolled his eyes again. "Not interested."

A pink blur that was apparently Sakura came up behind the two and laughed. "Don't worry, Sasuke-kun. Ino and I are both over our fangirl phase." Her eyes glittered merrily. She winked and continued, "Sai takes too much of her time nowadays."

Sasuke blinked.

"Oh, please, Sakura." Ino retorted, sniffing daintily. She grinned back, putting an arm around her friend and pressing her forehead close to hers. "It's surprising to see that you and Naruto have enough time to get down and dirty with your busy, busy schedules."

Sakura gasped and shoved Ino away as they both burst out in laughter.

Sasuke grimaced. _He was not having this conversation, he was not having this conversation, he was not_ – Sasuke gagged and walked away. He hoped he would make it to the bathroom in time. The sake just did _not_ agree with him.

-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke groaned and put a hand to his forehead, leaning against the bathroom wall and wiping the vomit from his mouth. He almost laughed to himself. _Uchiha Sasuke, the former missing-nin, a lightweight_. He had never really seen the need to drink before, so the amount of alcohol he had consumed affected him more than he had thought. Of course, he stopped paying attention to the amount he had been drinking after Naruto and Kiba opened their mouths and just wouldn't _shut up_.

He took a deep breath and opened the door, ready to head back to the festivities, and took a shaky step out of the bathroom. No sooner than five steps down the hallway, he stumbled, landing on the floor with a bang. _Well, fuck_, he thought. Somewhere in his thought process, he was actually grateful for the steady surface the floor gave him, but Sasuke hoped that no one would be needing to use the bathroom anytime soon. He wondered vaguely if anyone would mind if he fell asleep right now. He let his eyes shut, welcoming the relief the darkness gave him compared to the glaring lights above his head. _Stupid dobe…_ he thought drifting off to sleep. _You owe me._

_-.-.-.-.-_

_A/N: I realized that I was taking so long to put another chapter up! X) I've had this written, but I had to do a lot of revising and editing. Again, thank you all for reading (no matter how weird this story ends up being). _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It wasn't even 10 minutes later when Sasuke awoke to a cool hand to his forehead. "Sasuke-kun, daijoubu?" a soft voice asked anxiously.

He squinted up at the blurry, pink face framed by a halo of dark hair above him. "Hn? Okaa-san?" His irritated expression broke into a smile of contentment. "I've missed you, Okaa-san." He put a tender hand to the face hovering above his. "Am I dreaming again?" he whispered, more to himself than to the image he saw.

The face turned even more red and warm under his touch. "A-ano…"

Sasuke felt the face jerk hesitantly away and he frowned. "_Okaa_-san," he whined, "I haven't seen you for so long." His face fell and he pouted like a small child. Vaguely, he thought to himself, _Damn, am I really this drunk?_ He struggled to hold on to that thought, although it was soon involuntarily pushed aside. _But…Okaa-san. _Sasuke fought the urge to accept reality and succumb to the sleepiness and darkness he found on the floor. All he wanted to do was curl up in mother's arms like he did as a child. Then all his worries, all his doubt, all his fears… all the scary nightmares would go away, just like it did back then. It was the only familiar place where he was certain to find comfort.

Hinata's face softened as she watched the Uchiha's conflicting thoughts flutter across his face silently in his drunken state. Her own thoughts flickered back to her son, who was tucked safely in the covers of the bed in his grandmother's home. Shikakumi, like any other mama's boy, had trouble hiding his own desire of being comforted by the safety of his mother's arms.

After sipping some sake of her own, sitting comfortably with Shino, she was also not in a total clear state of mind. Sitting, observing, and drinking for most of the night meant that she was sure to answer nature's call some time. Slipping quietly past her much louder and more preoccupied friends, she was surprised to find an Uchiha on the floor. At first, she giggled. The Sasuke she heard about wouldn't dare be caught passed out in front of the bathroom. The stoic Sasuke she met at the market that same day, the Sasuke her son had humiliated, wouldn't _dare_. But then she realized that this was real. Her current motherly instincts made her even softer than she ever was as a child and a teenager. The sweet, shy heiress would never turn away even the formerly most wanted shinobi in the land. Knowing that Naruto and Sakura weren't sober enough at the moment to be concerned about their teammate, she had nervously knelt next to the man and reached over his shoulder to turn his face to hers.

_He was beautiful_. She had discovered that this man was as handsome as the fangirls and the rumors had said. It was different than seeing him under a hooded cloak during the night at his arrival and much more different than seeing him drenched in food juices, like she had this morning. Hinata had blushed at her initial thoughts, but she couldn't bring herself to turn away or let her hand fall from his face. Since he was asleep, and since the opportunity to observe him without the threat of a Sharingan glare never came often—or ever for that matter—she took it. The vulnerable, sleeping Sasuke before her held no signs of hostility or even his usual indifference. Just…serenity and a peace that she had never seen except on the face of her own sleeping son.

Hinata had chuckled, quietly scolding herself for turning motherly on this powerful, ruthless ninja. But she did not usually let herself drink sake to the point where she turned a perpetual pink and get even slightly drunk. Allowing herself to step outside her comfort zone with Naruto's best friend just this once wouldn't hurt. So she continued to observe him the way he thought he was discreetly observing her that morning.

It was hard to believe that this man was once more than just the teammate of her blonde, former crush or the criminal she and her classmates had pursued. It was hard to believe that their families once had close ties, although their fathers had a silent, fearsome rivalry while their mothers shared a close friendship. It was hard to believe that she once held this man's hand so many years ago under a sunny sky. _So much is hard to believe_. Hinata's thin brows furrowed as she frowned. _Does he remember?_ There was so much that Hinata suddenly wanted to know in her sudden enlightenment. _What exactly makes up the mind and memories of Uchiha Sasuke? Who exactly is Uchiha Sasuke—now?_ She might have known as a child, but years of terror and change had stripped them of their friendship. Besides, after the massacre, he had a new life, with new teammates following a few years later. Someone else would take care of him. Or so she thought. She had never given herself the chance to linger on any memories or thoughts of the last Uchiha. She always told herself it wasn't her place to interfere, and so she had kept away from him.

Through eyes almost as skillful as the Sharingan user's before her, she studied him. Most of his physical characteristics that presented themselves remained the way she knew him as a child, just more mature enough to fit his age. His dark, shaggy hair had grown. His bangs sat lower on his forehead and longer tendrils framed his face, blending in with the hair he let grow to match his older brother. Hinata saw that most of it had come out of the tie he usually wore high on his head and laid messily around his shoulders. Sasuke's skin remained as pale as it was when he was younger, but angry scars and seals littered its surface. Up close, she saw how long his lashes were and how they brushed his cheeks the way blossoms brushed the floor when they fell. Stubble pricked at Hinata's callused fingers as she held his face. He _looked_ the same, but—how much he himself had changed from their playdates as children! Gone was the mischievous grin he wore. Gone was the playfulness that coursed through his limbs. The brightness in his eyes that readily lit up his face when he saw anyone he loved was nowhere to be found. _Oh, Sasuke-kun_, _what happened to you?_ she had thought.

So when he had woken up and stared at her with wide, pleading eyes, much like her son's when he begged earnestly for something, her heart burst. This so-called dangerous man, deprived of attention and care for so many years, still yearned to feel the same comfort he felt in his mother's arms—the feeling of safety and the knowledge that everything was going to be okay, if he let himself trust again. She could only imagine what the former avenger had been thinking after leaving Konoha and since returning.

She placed a hesistant hand once again to Sasuke's face. Smiling gently, she shook her head. "Iie, Sasuke-kun, it's me, Hinata."

Her response was met with a frown. "Hina…chan?" He tilted his head to the side, scrunching his nose—quite adorably, Hinata admitted—pushed his lips out in concentration.

Hinata blushed at the familiar name, wondering if he had heard her thoughts about their past. The only time anyone had called her that was when she was a child. The only person who had ever dared address her without the customary "—sama" that she was used to was….Sasuke. He had always been unafraid of the consequent icy Hyuuga demeanor and accompanying scowl of her father as they played in her mother's gardens. She stared at him in awe, amazed at how much he actually remembered deep inside the corners of his thoughts.

"Hinata, Hinata….Hina-chan.." he muttered to himself, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. _Why does that sound so familiar?_ Sasuke growled as he thought to himself. _And…weird._ Again, images of a short-haired girl with rosy cheeks, laughing as she took his hand, flashed through his mind. _No, no, no._ He thought to himself, pushing away the memories once again.

Hinata was unsure what Sasuke's reaction would be if he actually remembered how close they were. Thinking about their close friendship as children might trigger more memories of his mother, since both of them had spent a lot of time together with Uchiha Mikoto, especially after Hinata's mother had died.

Suddenly, Mikoto's face appeared in Sasuke's thoughts. _He was as tall as her hip, and he was laughing, looking up into her beaming face as he held her hand. _

_"You're having fun, ne Sasuke?" She chuckled. "You always feel better when your nii-san's away if Hina-chan's here." Mikoto looked down to a figure on her right, squeezing the little hand she held on the other side. A small, round face with blushing cheeks and white eyes poked her head out from the other side of Mikoto's leg and smiled shyly at him and looked admiringly back up at his mother. He followed her gaze and met his mother's eyes. She winked at him._

_"I love you, Sasuke."_

Gripping his head, he shook it wildly, "Yamero!" He squeezed his eyes shut and sat frozen on the floor, trying to calm his thoughts and ease his reeling head. He hated his memories. Swords made him bleed and jutsus injured him badly, but nothing hurt him as much as his memories did. He would not feel pain, not now.

"Hinata."

Hinata turned her head towards the sudden deep voice that called her to see eyebrows raised in a questioning glance. "Shikamaru." Her eyes darted back to Sasuke who was still trying to shake himself out of his thoughts, oblivious to his two companions.

The Nara genius stood at the end of the hallway with his hands in his pockets. "I saw you leave earlier and then you never came back. I thought you might have passed out." He followed her glance to the man next to her.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She smiled at his concern, watching him as he came and squatted next to her. "But Sasuke-kun…." She trailed off, frowning.

"What's wrong with him?" Shikamaru asked curiously. "He looks like shit. How much did he drink?"

They watched Sasuke continue to mumble incoherently to himself, almost feeling the rage building up inside of him.

"He's remembering," Hinata whispered, her hands cradled on her lap.

Shikamaru didn't need to ask anything else. He understood.

He snorted unexpectedly. "I risked my life to rescue _this_ bastard?"

Hinata laughed, noting the sarcastic fondness in his voice as he muttered under his breath, "Mendokusei." She knew there was nothing more that Shikamaru cared about than those who were closest to him and his friends. He wasn't called a genius for nothing.

Sasuke finally looked up at the sound of another voice. "Hmph. What do _you_ want?" He muttered, glaring at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru shrugged lazily, waiting for the Uchiha to continue. He didn't want to waste his breath talking if Sasuke wasn't going to listen to him anyway.

"You." Sasuke jabbed his finger towards Hinata. "Stop confusing me." He closed his eyes. "You're messing with my head." She looked curiously at him in response. He turned to Shikamaru. "And you. You need to teach your kid better jutsus or else he'll be a dumbass ninja like Naruto instead of a genius like you."

Shikamaru's mouth gaped open. "Nani?" He turned to Hinata with an appalled look on his face. Her mouth was wide too, a horrified expression on her face, a deeper red overcoming her drunken glow.

"You fucking heard me," Sasuke growled. He struggled to stand up dramatically and walk away, but his arms failed to keep him stable enough.

"Shut up and let me take you back," Shikamaru grunted, reaching out to steady him.

Sasuke tried half-heartedly to push him away, but he let himself be propped up into a sitting position, grumbling to himself.

Hinata watched, sighing. "Ah, gomen, Shikamaru. I didn't mean to take you away from the party."

He shrugged. "I didn't come here to get drunk. I need to help Ino get back. Sai's not in the village tonight. Don't want to have her having the baby so soon from all the excitement." He lifted Sasuke's arm so it was draped around his shoulders and pulled him up until Sasuke was steady enough on two feet. Shikamaru glanced at Hinata from the corner of his eyes. "Are _you_ okay?"

Hinata nodded her head. "Nn. Just… ano, a little drunk. " She tripped over Shikamaru's sandals, leaning into his jonin vest, and he rolled his eyes, offering his other arm.

Hinata pushed him away. "Iie, I could do it."

He shrugged again. "Alright then. Let's go, Uchiha." They walked out of the hallway slowly towards the living room and adjacent kitchen.

"Matte, Shika-kun." Hinata left the pair to head towards the kitchen after touching his shoulder gently and glancing quickly at Sasuke.

A quiet Sasuke squinted at the spiky-haired man next to him, who was watching the long-haired Hyuuga stumble slightly towards the sink. Shikamaru held a neutral expression on his face, but Sasuke could see the warmth, however miniscule, reaching his brown eyes they followed her. Somehow, Sasuke was reminded of the boy in the marketplace whose similar brown eyes had gazed up at Hinata this morning. The two had not interacted all night. Hinata had quietly stayed near the table, ironically with the most drunken of the group, while Shikamaru had lounged on the couch all night, sipping a beer slowly and opening his eyes now and then. The exchanges between the Nara and the Hyuuga in the past few minutes would be normally overlooked, but Sasuke's ever-seeing eyes, albeit drunk, had caught the affection that lingered between them. It was hardly noticeable, but it was there.

The other genius caught Sasuke's stare. "Nani?" he asked idly.

"Are you—? " He looked back and forth between the kitchen and their former classmate.

"Iie." Shikamaru replied.

"But—."

"Iie."

Sasuke snorted, shutting his mouth as Hinata made her way back.

"Here. Drink this," Hinata soothed, touching a cup of water to his lips and putting a steady hand to his shoulder.

Sasuke reeled from her touch, clutching at Shikamaru to prevent himself from falling on the floor. "Go away," he shot at Hinata. "I get bad thoughts when you're around." He shook his head to himself, somehow realizing that what he said didn't sound right. "Not _sexy_ bad thoughts, _horrible_ bad thoughts."

Hinata drew back, a slightly hurt expression on her face. "D-demo-" She tried to reach out for him again but Shikamaru stopped her with his free arm, giving her a warning glance. He shook his head. She looked up at him, taking a step back to place herself against Shikamaru's back, away from the angry posture of the Uchiha.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you saying to Hinata?" a very drunk Kiba drawled, waltzing up and putting a lazy arm around the Hyuuga, who then put her arm around his waist to balance him. "Don't talk to her."

"Urosai, Inuzuka." Sasuke sneered, leaning heavily onto Shikamaru who was patiently watching the exchange with an amused and confused expression. "I don't need to listen to you."

"You mess with Hinata, you mess with me, asshole," Kiba shot back, his fangs baring at Sasuke's provoking voice.

"It's okay, Kiba-kun," Hinata murmured, rubbing circles on her teammate's back and clenching his shirt to prevent him from lunging at the man facing him. The last thing she wanted was a fight to break out as a result of drunken tempers. She glanced nervously at Shikamaru.

_Oh, Kami. Where was Naruto when they needed him?_ Shikamaru turned to see a passed-out Naruto leaning against the bigger frame that was Chouji. The rokudaime's legs sprawled over an ever-stoic Shino, who did nothing but sip his sake and watch his friends' antics. He rolled his eyes. _Mendokusei_.

"Here," he said, leading Sasuke to the long couch next to Sakura and Ino. Ten Ten lay slumbering against Sakura's shoulder, her hands protectively holding her boyfriend's sleeping face that rested on her lap. Rock Lee's mouth hung open, drooling onto Ten Ten's lap, as his long, muscular legs took up most of one end of the couch. The pair did not stir as Sasuke slumped onto the opposite side, ignoring Ino's grumbling complaints as he knocked her feet off the pillow where they were supported. "Arigatou," he mumbled groggily, burying his face in a pillow. Shikamaru grunted in response. The Uchiha's rage had left just as easily as it had come. Hinata breathed in relief.

Kiba released himself from Hinata's hold and claimed the space that was left, snoring the instant his head hit the cushion. His foot kicked Sasuke in the face, and the Uchiha slapped it away. "Fuck you," Kiba grumbled sleepily, turning over.

"Ino," Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head. "Let's go."

"Ino can stay here tonight," Sakura offered. "It's much easier and safer than having her pregnant pig-ass try to waddle her way back home. We'll take her back after we pick up the kids at Kakashi-sensei's tomorrow morning."

Ino glared at the woman she was propped against, a protective hand on her belly. "Shut up, forehead!" But she nodded back at Shikamaru. "Hai, Shikamaru. Take Hinata home." She jutted her chin out at the woman at his side, who stood silently taking in the scene with her pale eyes.

Shikamaru glanced at Hinata. "Shikakumi's probably not even asleep since you're out tonight."

Hinata frowned. "Aa. I should get back then." She turned towards Sakura. "Arigatou, Sakura-san, for tonight. Ino-chan," she nodded, reaching over to pat her belly tenderly. "Ayaka-chan." Hinata straightened and waved to Shino from across the room, who raised his sake glass. "Good night, Sasuke-kun," she called timidly over her shoulder as she followed Shikamaru out the door, somehow knowing he was still glaring at her.

Sasuke watched from the couch as the two went home together. Somewhere in Sasuke's thoughts, it made sense. And it also didn't. Shikamaru was the only logical candidate to be the father of Hinata's son. The way they interacted earlier. The way their bodies were angled towards each other as they talked signaled that there was something more than friendship between them. The close proximity of their faces as they conversed. The way they looked at each other when they talked was different from the way they talked to the other members on their teams. But they still weren't close enough to be _together_-together. They did not touch. And the way the pair walked out together—he was not taking her hand. She was not leaning into him. What exactly was their relationship? But he didn't even understand why the pair intrigued him. Perhaps he was drawn to interesting things that didn't seem to make sense.

_Just stop thinking!_ Sasuke told himself as Kiba's loud snore jarred him from his thoughts. He pushed aside the memories that had crept its way into his thoughts and the questions that threatened to restart his gears. His mind worked too much today. It was exhausting having more than one thought besides "Gotta kill, gotta kill, gotta kill," whether it was his brother, the entire village of Konoha, or Naruto, like before.

_What a night_. Sasuke glanced wearily around. Despite the noise and the obnoxious laughter from before, and now the soft murmurs of Ino and Sakura with the snoring bodies around the room, it was hard to deny that everyone seemed to be at peace here. It was nice. Different. It was a good welcome back. Begrudgingly, he mentally noted that had to remember to thank Sakura, and finally drifted off to sleep.


End file.
